Monday, April 9, 2012

Hospes eras nostri...

Here is today's distich by Martial, 4.79. Did Martial really have an estate in Tivoli that he sold to someone named Matho? Perhaps not - but the joke is still a good one!

Hospes eras nostri semper, Matho, Tiburtini;
Hoc emis. Inposui: rus tibi vendo tuum.


So constant guest unto my farm ye're known,
You buying it, I cheat, and sell your own.
- Wright

Here is the vocabulary:

hospes - guest
sum - be, exist
noster - our
semper - always
Matho - Matho
Tiburtinus - Tivoli (adj.)
hic - this, this one
emo - buy
impono - impose upon, deceive
rus - country, farm
tu - you
vendo - sell
tuus - your